Dogs are fumbling away the season (and other lessons from Saturday’s debacle)
BOULDER, Colo. – Three things gleaned from Saturday’s 29-27 loss to Colorado:
1. Georgia is fumbling away the season. Washaun Ealey barely played Saturday -– he got just one carry -– as a consequence of his critical fumbles inside the opponent’s 5-yard line in losses at South Carolina and Mississippi State. Ealey’s benching created more playing time for Caleb King, who gave Georgia its first 100-yard rusher of the season. But in the final two minutes, with Georgia well within range to kick a potentially game-winning field goal, King fumbled the ball and the game away. (Also, of course, someone should have blocked the linebacker who forced the fumble by striking King a split-second after he took the handoff on what coach Mark Richt called “as basic of a play as we’ve got.”)
2. Georgia desperately needs a full game from A.J. Green. The star wide receiver caught seven passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 40 yards on an end-around, but he still hasn’t played a full game in any of Georgia’s past nine regular-season games. He missed 3 ½ of the final four games last season with injuries, missed the first four games this season because of the NCAA suspension and missed much of the third quarter Saturday night with cramping. Just before he left the game, Green caught a 50-yard pass that put the Bulldogs in position to score the touchdown that gave them a 24-14 lead with 10:40 left in the third quarter. By the time he returned to the game in the fourth quarter, after getting intravenous fluids in the locker room, Georgia trailed 29-24. In the two first-quarter series that Georgia didn’t get Green the ball and the two third-quarter series he did not play, the Bulldogs combined for one first down and minus-1 yard of net offense. In the rest of the game, the Dogs had 19 first downs and 410 yards offense.
3. The defense continues to be burned by big plays. Georgia took a 24-14 lead early in the third quarter, but Colorado scored touchdowns on its next two possessions to go ahead for good. Explosive plays set up both of those TDs. A 65-yard run down the left sideline by tailback Rodney Stewart on an option pitch fueled the first of the two drives. A 46-yard pass to wide receiver Will Jefferson, who got open down the middle behind Vance Cuff, sparked the second. Making matters worse for Georgia on the latter series, Colorado tried to settle for a field goal, but a roughing-the-kicker penalty against Cuff gave the Buffaloes a first down and kept the TD drive alive. Colorado opted to take the three points off the scoreboard and quickly put on seven instead, and that proved to be the difference in a game ultimately decided by two.
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223 comments Add your comment
CHUCK UGA
October 3rd, 2010
9:39 pm
Blad, blah, blah, blah. Same old excuses. Same old excuses. “We’re gonna work hard to get better.” “Nothing wrong with the offense, it’s the execution.” “I don’t see a reason to change anything. We just need the players to execute the plays.”
Guess what, we have a bunch of morons running the football program. Anyone without mental retardation can see the same stuff week in and week out. the same mistakes, the same failed game plan, the same flawed fundamentals. The same delusional, borderline insane head coach. The same lack of preparation.. the same lack of intensity. The same mental mistakes. The same penalties and wild, undisciplined play. I cannot believe anyone over there could sit in front of a microphone and expect us to believe their spin and lies.
Richt needs to be replaced and no later than the Monday after the Tech game.
CHUCK UGA
October 3rd, 2010
9:39 pm
P.S. Some of the players have QUIT. Anyone denying that is either stupid or a liar.
UGAJD
October 3rd, 2010
9:41 pm
@ Terry Trippe – Your post may be one of the most unreasonable I’ve seen in this thread… and that’s saying A LOT! You talk about Richt and “his recruiters” like he has no control over recruiting at UGA. Heck, man, he is the head recruiter. Your logic is very difficult to comprehend.
@ Party school – I like your question. At what point should coach Richt be relieved of his duties? What is your standard for UGA’s head coach? Is 6-6 good enough? 5-7? 4-8? Does he get at least another year, regardless of this year’s record? Does he have tenure? As a quality individual, you can’t ask for much more than Mark Richt, but we all have a job to do, and there comes a point where your ineffectiveness at your chosen profession overrides your generic qualities as a fine human being.
TomDawg
October 3rd, 2010
9:42 pm
Mr. Tucker, nobody made excuses for Ealey’s fumbles, so don’t start making any for Caleb King. King fumbles more than anybody on the team. The line hasn’t blocked all year. That’s old news. A little bit of that north Georgia bias goin on.
chickenman
October 3rd, 2010
10:29 pm
maybe we should hope for some more losses.. maybe then our AD will sack up and fire some coaches…but then again i dont think i can handle another loss… oh god… fire bobo and all will be well
Snoop Dawg
October 3rd, 2010
10:37 pm
These AJC jerks are censoring me.
icedawg
October 3rd, 2010
10:45 pm
The onus is on the defense. Surprisingly the offense even though it has glaring weaknesses has scored enough points to win in most of the games so far. Like last year it is the defense that has shown that it cannot shut down the opponent. Obviously we lack talent on that side of the ball. The recruits have turned out to not be the caliber they were thought to be. The defensive side of the ball could take several years to reverse. Don’t forget that pre-Saban Alabama had a number of years in the doldrums.
biggestdogfan
October 3rd, 2010
10:57 pm
Even though we are having a down year all bulldog fans should check this bulldog song out. It got my spirits up!!
http://www.jfareal.com or youtube search jfareal go dawgs. At least there is one bright spot.
Party school
October 3rd, 2010
10:58 pm
Tennessee has been getting better every week and should have beaten LSU in Baton Rouge, not an easy task. I wonder who’s favored.
Bull
October 3rd, 2010
11:03 pm
GO DAWGS!!! …(and take your fans with you)
boots
October 3rd, 2010
11:23 pm
These are dark days, and it does not make one a fair-weathered fan to say so. I am and will always be a Dawg, especially since I graduated from UGA, and I would have it no other way. We will get back on track, but it is disappointing that we have dropped so far. Wow – what a difference three years makes… But do we fire CMR? No. Look at what happened to the Vols. Somebody wake me up when this is over.
Undercover "dawg", North Ave, Atlanta address
October 4th, 2010
8:16 am
I agree “huckhound”, CMR faith should be off limits. But to these redneck fans NOTHING is off the table where their dawgs are concerned. As a fan of the other team in the state ribbing UGA fans is a sporting event!
DaDumbDawg
October 4th, 2010
8:33 am
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ga fans are among the most obnoxious and petty fans I’ve ever seen. Seeing you goobers lose like this is just PRICELESS! I hope you win 3 games all year and get stomped by Tech at the end of the year. Just keep on believing that winning football games is the most important thing in your life and you’ll be fine. Don’t spend the weekend with your kids or family, hang on every play of the DAWGS! woof woof, hahahahah!
Bob LaBlah
October 4th, 2010
9:05 am
Rebuilding year? The dogs are always in a rebuilding year. When will it be bulit?
Dawg Fud
October 4th, 2010
9:15 am
Dawg Drool (Go Vols),
That is an unfair statement – Smokey licks his balls, too.
Give 'em a Snickers bar!
October 4th, 2010
9:34 am
Somebody give our O line some Snicker’s bars… they are playing like a bunch of Betty Whites out there!
GA Dawg
October 4th, 2010
9:44 am
http://pricezack.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/can-georgia-win-a-championship-with-mark-richt/ this article gets more and more interesting as the losses keep coming
lapdarg
October 4th, 2010
11:13 am
Caleb fumbled all by himself. He needed no help.
Yes AL S#cked 4 years ago. Even though Shula went 10-2 in 2006 after a 6-7 finish in 2007, he was fired. The reason most often cited was that he did not beat AU. (What is Richt’s record against FL?. AL hired Saban and went to the SEC championship game in 2009 and last year won the National Championship. It is likely they will have another in 2011.
GA schools produce more talent than AL high schools. I believe that if we had a Saban or a Meyer, we would be competing for championships instead of cursing a 1-4 record.
I don’t think people can seperate the man, Richt from the coach Richt. Just because he is a “ggod man” does not make him a good coach. He is mediocre at best.
UGA has the $$ to spend. Let us part with Richt and hire someone who can win consistently and can compete with or better yet dominate FL.
willie martinez
October 4th, 2010
1:55 pm
i bet i get a ring before richt does. gooooo sooners
These bleachers have eyes
October 4th, 2010
4:51 pm
The real scrutiny on Richt will begin on Saturday vs Tennessee. This game to the alumni and the administration is huge. It is not another MSU game or some SC thing or even Arkansas. The four losses in a row have changed all of the rules, as far as job security for CMR.
If young Dooley comes home and spanks UGA like last year or two year ago………..I suspect that Richt could be in jeopardy right then and there. This will create a long time swelling up emotional thing with the fans and Dr Adams, having to do with Vince Dooley. Adams will feel the heat. Ad McGarity also wants to win this game. UT and Florida were HUGE games and he viewed them for 18 years as assist. AD in Gainseville. Now at UGA, he does not want to lose.
The alumni will simly not tolerate this anymore. You see, 2009 after MS and NM was the yewar to rebuild and we had that 8-5 thing. Oh no, 2010 is not supposed to be another rebuilding year.
Lose badly to Tenessee and it will really accelerate the losing. Richt would resign at year’s end or near to the last game or two. If UGa were to allow him yet ANOTHER YEAR TO REBUILD, and if we at this same time next year are say 3-2 or sommething like that, it would be a disaster.
No, pull the plug now on Mark Richt’s era …………..it is time.
GO Dogs.
Class of 71 & 73
HOGPWR2
October 4th, 2010
5:12 pm
Obviously, this season, so far, is terrible……and the buck stops with the head coach. But besides the obvious problems with this team, there are some underlying problems over the last several years that are not be talked about very much. We are not winning enough of the big games, we are not beating the teams like Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, LSU on a consistently regular basis in order to be a consistent SEC power. We do have some championships in the last 10 years, but with the resources we have, we should be in that upper echelon every year and be an annual contender for the SEC championship. I believe one of the keys to that level lies with the assistant coaching staff, and it seems that CMR might have made some better choices in those areas.
BayouBengal
October 4th, 2010
7:46 pm
Hell you all are slow crackers. We are 5-0 and we are working behind the scenes to try and bring in Harbaugh from Stanford. Les Miles sucks as an SEC coach, he’s twice as good as Richt and we are trying to get rid of him. Maybe you Dawg Pups can take our leftovers and grab up Miles. We heard earlier Georgia might be interested but get real if offered BOTH jobs where do you think he would go? Dawggie cemetery in Athens or the Baton Rouge where we recruit top 5 classes every yr. You all better find you a real coach or you will be in the bottom half of the SEC with Vandy & Ole Miss. You all will lose to Tennessee, Florida and Auburn so thats 5-7 and the only bowl you will see is your empty dog bowl….get a coach and coach up your players, NOT coaching them DOWN or else maybe try to get in the ACC where it is a lot easier.
GeorgiaGirl
October 5th, 2010
2:06 pm
I would like to see any one of you so called ’sports experts’ get out there and throw a 40 yard pass, or tackle some 300 lb men. Even if we aren’t that great right now, these season’s have to happen. Yeah, it sucks, but we have to get through the sucky to get to the great seasons. It’s called a REBUILDING year for a reason. We have to start at the bottom and work our way up. You critics need to learn a little thing called faith. Faith in your team, faith in you players, and faith in your coaches. Mark Richt has done an excellent job the past 10 years, and I don’t think that when the tough gets going you need to get trigger happy with the firing squad. Just calm down, put everything in perspective, and show up to cheer on your Dawgs. They NEED our support at times like these, not our HATE and criticism.